Perfect dog-friendly getaways on the island of Ireland

As a nation of animal lovers, Ireland offers a warm welcome to you and your four-legged friends. 

With its wide range of pet-friendly accommodation, amazing outdoor spaces to roam around, plus a host of restaurants, pubs, cafés and attractions eager to cater for your canine companions, the island has everything you need to make your trip a howling success.

For a top-notch two and four-legged getaway experience head to Lusty Beg Island Resort and Spa in the lakelands of County Fermanagh, the first venue in the UK and Ireland to get a gold award from the PAW (Pets Are Welcome) grading programme. Set on an idyllic island, the resort offers dog-friendly rooms and lodges, provides a dog welcome pack, dog food menu and access to two areas that serve food and drink in the hotel’s main building.

If you’re heading for the famous Causeway Coastal Route, the Inn on the Coast in County Antrim also offers spacious accommodation with excellent walking routes. There are dedicated pet-friendly rooms on the ground floor for up to two dogs and your pet is welcome at the seating area of the foyer and in the reception, where you can relax and enjoy a drink or meal. The inn even awards a good behaviour certificate and a treat for your furry friend on check out. 

Elsewhere in Northern Ireland the appropriately named Salty Dog hotel in County Down is also happy to see any pooch regardless of size, weight or breed. Those who book a stay here receive a doggie box of goodies and a sausage for breakfast (if Fido is allowed one.) Dog-loving friendly staff, gorgeous rooms and great food will make your stay memorable.

The wonderful range of Irish pet-friendly accommodation includes the elegant Tankardstown manor house in County Meath in Ireland’s Ancient East. Its VIP (Very Important Pooch) package includes a stay in a gorgeous courtyard cottage and the chance to explore 80 acres of gardens, woodland and parkland. 

County Waterford also has lots of dog-friendly accommodation, including Dromana House overlooking the River Blackwater, and the quaint 300-year-old thatched Carthy’s Cottage in Dungarvan at the start of the beautiful Waterford Greenway. Go walkies on the greenway and you’ll have a happy hound as you both enjoy the changing scenery of towns and villages, woodland, farmland, and a wealth of historic sites along the way. 

Of course, Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, with its stunning beach-studded coastal landscape is the perfect place to relax with your dog. The excellent pet-friendly accommodation options here range from self-catering cottages to the Twelve Hotel in County Galway – its lobby is kitted with dog toys, doggy room-service is available and there are handy local walking maps.

For city-based dog-friendly holidays Dublin is a top pet playground, with beaches, parks and mountains on its doorstep, while Cork is home to Ireland’s first dog-centric boutique bakery, serving everything from ‘barkday’ cakes to  ‘pawspressos’.

With all manner of activities to enjoy with your best friend, a getaway in Ireland will be a dog-friendly experience to remember.

www.ireland.com